Download or read book The Life and Times of Persimmon Wilson written by Nancy Peacock and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2017-01-17 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Drunken Bride, Texas, April 1875. Writing furiously in a jail cell in the days leading up to his hanging, former slave Persimmon "Persy" Wilson's last wish is to set the record straight. He may be guilty, but not of what he stands accused: the kidnapping and rape of his master's wife. Fifteen years earlier, Persy had been sold to Sweetmore, a Louisiana sugar plantation, alongside a striking young house slave named Chloe. Persy and Chloe arrive bound together in chains, a circumstance out of which is forged a perilous love affair and dreams of escape. But on the eve of the Union Army's takeover of New Orleans, an outraged and jealous Master Wilson shoots Persy and flees with Chloe and his other slaves to Texas. So begins Persy's epic journey, a sweeping tale that takes readers from the sweltering exhaustion of plantation life to the final battles of the Civil War, from the isolation and bitter cold of the Texas frontier to the brutal yet life-affirming ways of the Comanche warriors who show Persy what it means to control one's own destiny. Facing unimaginable hardship in his quest to find Chloe -- the sole silver lining of an awful past -- Persimmon gradually regains the dignity and selfhood that years of brutal subjugation had eroded. Perfect for fans of Cold Mountain and The Invention of Wings, this is the moving testimony of a man whose remarkable odyssey reveals the power of love and the depth of the human spirit"--Publisher's description.
Download or read book The Life and Times of Persimmon Wilson written by Nancy Peacock and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2017-01-17 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For fans of Cold Mountain and The Invention of Wings comes “a magnificent, immersive, breathtaking work of historical fiction” (Jennifer Chiaverini, New York Times bestselling author) that follows the epic journey of a slave-turned-Comanche warrior who travels from the brutality of a New Orleans sugar cane plantation to the indomitable frontier of untamed Texas, searching not only for the woman he loves but also for his own identity. I have been to hangings before, but never my own. Sitting in a jail cell on the eve of his hanging, April 1, 1875, freedman Persimmon “Persy” Wilson wants to leave a record of the truth—his truth. He may be guilty, but not of what he stands accused: the kidnapping and rape of his former master’s wife. In 1860, Persy had been sold to Sweetmore, a Louisiana sugar plantation, alongside a striking house slave named Chloe. Their deep and instant connection fueled a love affair and inspired plans to escape their owner, Master Wilson, who claimed Chloe as his concubine. But on the eve of the Union Army’s attack on New Orleans, Wilson shot Persy, leaving him for dead, and fled with Chloe and his other slaves to Texas. So began Persy’s journey across the frontier, determined to reunite with his lost love. Along the way, the Comanche captured him and his only chance of survival was to prove himself capable of becoming a warrior. His odyssey of warfare, heartbreak, unlikely friendships, and newfound family would change the very core of his identity and teach him the meaning and the price of freedom. From the author of the New York Times Notable Book Life Without Water, The Life and Times of Persimmon Wilson is a sweeping love story that “is as deeply moving and exciting an American saga as has ever been penned” (Lee Smith, author of Dimestore).
Download or read book Thar She Blows written by Susan Emshwiller and published by Pinehead Press. This book was released on 2023-04-11 with total page 463 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Caught in a redundant housewife existence, Ann never leaves her beige suburban home, her schlubby do-nothing son Brian is directionless after graduating high-school, and it looks like nothing will ever change. But when Brian is swallowed by a whale and Ann receives a garbled phone call from him, she is determined to find that monstrous beast and rescue her son. Experts, her ex, the press—everyone thinks she’s crazy—but she’s committed to her worthy quest. Both Brian and Ann battle their skeptical inner voices in an inspiring journey of self-discovery, reinvention, survival, and sacrifice. As mother and son face epic adventures, they encounter unlikely allies from across the globe and might just find each other. Yet the ultimate danger is closing in… Devilishly funny, heartbreaking, thrilling, this epic whale-of-a-tale combines absurdist magical realism with intimate family dynamics.
Download or read book Walking the Kiso Road written by William Scott Wilson and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 2015-10-13 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Step back into old Japan with this fascinating travelogue of the famous Kiso Road, an ancient route used by samurai and warlords The Kisoji, which runs through the Kiso Valley in the Japanese Alps, has been in use since at least 701 C.E. In the seventeenth century, it was the route that the daimyo (warlords) used for their biennial trips—along with their samurai and porters—to the new capital of Edo (now Tokyo). The natural beauty of the route is renowned—and famously inspired the landscapes of Hiroshige, as well as the work of many other artists and writers. William Scott Wilson, esteemed translator of samurai philosophy, has walked the road several times and is a delightful and expert guide to this popular tourist destination; he shares its rich history and lore, literary and artistic significance, cuisine and architecture, as well as his own experiences.
Download or read book The Rope of Life written by Mirinda Kossoff and published by . This book was released on 2020-07-17 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mirinda Kossoff took one flight in her father's Cessna Skyhawk as he piloted and navigated by landmarks that revealed themselves through openings in the trees below. A short three years later, he was dead at age fifty-six. Memory of that ride fueled Kossoff's desire to understand who her father was and the forces that shaped him. And by extension, how he shaped her life. Her need to know and to understand became a life-long pursuit. The Rope of Life: A Memoir is a daughter's story told with love and compassion. Readers will come away wiser about family bonds and the ways in which they can hurt or heal.
Download or read book Supreme Courtship written by Christopher Buckley and published by Twelve. This book was released on 2008-09-03 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: President of the United States Donald Vanderdamp is having a hell of a time getting his nominees appointed to the Supreme Court. After one nominee is rejected for insufficiently appreciating To Kill A Mockingbird, the president chooses someone so beloved by voters that the Senate won't have the guts to reject her -- Judge Pepper Cartwright, the star of the nation's most popular reality show, Courtroom Six. Will Pepper, a straight-talking Texan, survive a confirmation battle in the Senate? Will becoming one of the most powerful women in the world ruin her love life? And even if she can make it to the Supreme Court, how will she get along with her eight highly skeptical colleagues, including a floundering Chief Justice who, after legalizing gay marriage, learns that his wife has left him for another woman. Soon, Pepper finds herself in the middle of a constitutional crisis, a presidential reelection campaign that the president is determined to lose, and oral arguments of a romantic nature. Supreme Courtship is another classic Christopher Buckley comedy about the Washington institutions most deserving of ridicule.
Download or read book Maximum Morphonios written by Ellen Morphonios and published by New York : Morrow. This book was released on 1991 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: People tell a lot of outrageous stories about Florida's Ellen Morphonios--most of them true. Known for being tough on crime, she gives long sentences to criminals--in one instance, 1,698 years behind bars--especially if they've hurt children or pets. She has had her own radio talk show and has been seen nationally on 60 Minutes, and now she hands down her gutsy memoir. Photographs.
Download or read book The Book of Negroes written by Lawrence Hill and published by Random House. This book was released on 2009-02-01 with total page 511 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'A beautiful, compelling artifice, spun from unspeakably savage facts . . . a fiction that faces the terrible truth about slavery' The Times WINNER OF THE COMMONWEALTH PRIZE FOR FICTION Based on a true story, Lawrence Hill's epic novel spans three continents and six decades to bring to life a dark and shameful chapter in our history through the story of one brave and resourceful woman. Abducted from her West African village at the age of eleven and sold as a slave in the American South, Aminata Diallo thinks only of freedom - and of finding her way home again. After escaping the plantation, torn from her husband and child, she passes through Manhattan in the chaos of the Revolutionary War, is shipped to Nova Scotia, and then joins a group of freed slaves on a harrowing return odyssey to Africa. What readers are saying: ***** 'Beautifully written ... an enlightening read' ***** 'Since reading, this has become my favourite book ever' ***** 'A powerful historical account of an incredible woman's journey'
Download or read book Arcadia written by Iain Pears and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2016-02-09 with total page 583 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the author of the international best seller An Instance of the Fingerpost, Arcadia is an astonishing work of imagination. In Cold War England, Professor Henry Lytten, having renounced a career in espionage, is writing a fantasy novel that dares to imagine a world less fraught than his own. He finds an unlikely confidante in Rosie, an inquisitive young neighbor who, while chasing after Lytten's cat one day, stumbles through a doorway in his cellar and into a stunning and unfamiliar bucolic landscape—remarkably like the fantasy world Lytten is writing about. There she meets a young boy named Jay who is about to embark on a journey that will change both their lives. Elsewhere, in a distopian society where progress is controlled by a corrupt ruling elite, the brilliant scientist Angela Meerson has discovered the potential of a powerful new machine. When the authorities come knocking, she will make an important decision—one that will reverberate through all these different lives and worlds.
Download or read book The Way We Eat Now written by Bee Wilson and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2019-05-07 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An award-winning food writer takes us on a global tour of what the world eats--and shows us how we can change it for the better Food is one of life's great joys. So why has eating become such a source of anxiety and confusion? Bee Wilson shows that in two generations the world has undergone a massive shift from traditional, limited diets to more globalized ways of eating, from bubble tea to quinoa, from Soylent to meal kits. Paradoxically, our diets are getting healthier and less healthy at the same time. For some, there has never been a happier food era than today: a time of unusual herbs, farmers' markets, and internet recipe swaps. Yet modern food also kills--diabetes and heart disease are on the rise everywhere on earth. This is a book about the good, the terrible, and the avocado toast. A riveting exploration of the hidden forces behind what we eat, The Way We Eat Now explains how this food revolution has transformed our bodies, our social lives, and the world we live in.
Download or read book Forty Acres and Maybe a Mule written by Harriette Gillem Robinet and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2011-02-22 with total page 138 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winner of the 1999 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction A CBC Notable Children’s Book in the Field of Social Studies Two recently freed, formerly enslaved brothers work to protect the new life they’ve built during the Reconstruction after the Civil War in this vibrant, illustrated middle grade novel. Maybe nobody gave freedom, and nobody could take it away like they could take away a family farm. Maybe freedom was something you claimed for yourself. Like other ex-slaves, Pascal and his older brother Gideon have been promised forty acres and maybe a mule. With the found family they have built along the way, they claim a place of their own. Green Gloryland is the most wonderful place on earth, their own farm with a healthy cotton crop and plenty to eat. But the notorious night riders have plans to take it away, threatening to tear the beautiful freedom that the two boys are enjoying for the first time in their young lives.
Download or read book Eating for Pleasure People Planet written by Tom Hunt and published by Kyle Books. This book was released on 2020-03-19 with total page 573 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'If we could all live and eat a little more like Tom the world and the food chain would be in much better shape.' Anna Jones 'This book is like a hybrid of Michael Pollan and Anna Jones. It combines serious food politics with flavour-packed modern recipes. This is a call-to-arms for a different way of eating which seeks to lead us there not through lectures but through a love of food, in all its vibrancy and variety.' Bee Wilson Tom's mission is to teach a way of eating that prioritises the environment without sacrificing pleasure, taste and nutrition. Tom's manifesto, 'Root to Fruit' demonstrates how we can all become part of the solution, supporting a delicious, biodiverse and regenerative food system, giving us the skills and knowledge to shop, eat and cook sustainably, whilst eating healthier, better-tasting food for no extra cost.
Download or read book Byrd written by Kim Church and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Addie Lockwood believes in books. Roland Rhodes believes in blues guitar. Coming of age in the small-town South of the 1970s, they form a friendship as extraordinary as it is unlikely. They meet again in their disillusioned thirties, this time in California, where Roland's music career has landed him. Venice Beach is exotic, a world away from North Carolina and Addie's cloistered life as a bookstore clerk. But when her whirlwind reunion with Roland leaves Addie pregnant, reality sets in. Conflicted, unready to be a mother, she gives birth to a son--Byrd--and surrenders him for adoption without telling Roland, little imagining how the secret will shape their lives. Told through letters and sharply drawn vignettes, Byrd is an unforgettable story about making and living with the most difficult, intimate, and far-reaching of choices.
Download or read book A Dictionary of Maqiao written by Shaogong Han and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2003 with total page 350 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fictionalized account of the author's experiences growing up in a small village in rural China during the Cultural Revolution.
Download or read book A Narrative of the Life of David Crockett of the State of Tennessee written by Davy Crockett and published by U of Nebraska Press. This book was released on 1987-01-01 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Even as a pup, Davy Crockett "always delighted to be in the very thickest of danger." In his own inimitable style, he describes his earliest days in Tennessee, his two marriages, his career as an Indian fighter, his bear hunts, and his electioneering. His reputation as a b'ar hunter (he killed 105 in one season) sent him to Congress, and he was voted in and out as the price of cotton (and his relations with the Jacksonians) rose and fell. In 1834, when this autobiography appeared, Davy Crockett was already a folk hero with an eye on the White House. But a year later he would lose his seat in Congress and turn toward Texas and, ultimately, the Alamo.
Download or read book Sounder written by William H. Armstrong and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2011-07-12 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This powerful Newbery-winning classic tells the story of the great coon dog Sounder and his family. An African American boy and his family rarely have enough to eat. Each night, the boy's father takes their dog, Sounder, out to look for food. The man grows more desperate by the day. When food suddenly appears on the table one morning, it seems like a blessing. But the sheriff and his deputies are not far behind. The ever-loyal Sounder remains determined to help the family he loves as hard times bear down. This classic novel shows the courage, love, and faith that bind a family together despite the racism and inhumanity they face in the nineteenth-century deep South. Readers who enjoy timeless dog stories such as Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows will find much to love in Sounder, even as they read through tears at times.
Download or read book Beneath the Window written by Patricia Wilson Clothier and published by . This book was released on 2017-10-08 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is Patricia Clothier's story of growing up in the 1930s and 1940s on a vast ranch in the mountains and desert hugging the Mexican border in the Big Bend country of Texas, Before it became a national park. Her family weathered rattlesnakes and drought, accidents, loneliness and financial hardships of the Great Depression with fortitude, ingenuity, and grace. Like their scattered neighbors ? miles away over rugged roads ? it was the love of the land that gripped and held them there. Clothier paints a picture of this cast and glorious territory with words as vivid as any artist with a pallet of paints. A joy to read ? an adventure of Western life you'll never forget.' Jean Bradfish (award winning author and editor)
